View full sizeAaron Milner answers questions during his interview with the Saraland school board. "Our school systems are the gateway for our children to achieve success," he said. (Sally Pearsall Ericson / sericson@al.com)

Milner, 42, is currently superintendent at Enterprise City Schools, a position he has held since 2010. He replaces Wayne Vickers, who was hired last month to helm the Alabaster City Schools system. He will start work in Saraland in mid-July.

Here are excerpts from the question-and-answer session.

Q: How did you handle special education issues in Enterprise?

A: These are some of the most precious children we serve. … We provide a loving, nurturing place for them. It’s important to make sure we’re in compliance with special education issues … We make sure we provide a challenging environment for those children to help them achieve the highest level possible. They deserve no less.

Q: Is it important to pursue a ROTC program?

A: Anything we can do to interest a child outside of the regular school day that keeps them interested in school, I think is a positive thing. I’d want to analyze and fund it in the future. In Army ROTC, they learn drill, physical fitness, rifle, competition shooting – what a great exposure, to allow these children to travel and compete against other schools. It also gives them an advantage with college scholarships.

Q: What about implementing vocational schools?

A: With the industry I see in ThyssenKrupp, Austal, Airbus – there is vast potential for Saraland City Schools to offer training in welding, metal fabrication, electricity … maybe in partnerships with these industries in order to promote those professions.

We’re putting too much stock in the college-bound student; we need to reach out to those who might fall through the cracks. We need to teach skills to those who aren’t college-bound students. I’m not in favor of vocational training centers – (the program) should be part of the high school, so that we’re not taking them out of the school environment. It should be just as vital as AP (advanced placement) courses.

Q: There’s a lot of power vested in the position of superintendent: the buck stops with you. He’s got to have visionary leadership; everything comes from the top. How do you handle this responsibility?

A: I don’t think you can patent a form of leadership. I believe I have the ability to let people know that the buck stops here, who is in charge; but it’s necessary in the school system to create a culture that we work with one another. If we make decisions collaboratively, it’s much more palatable to the leadership of the schools and the school board.

Q: What will you do to advance our goal to build a world-class educational system?

A: It will be my goal that this board and this community will see me a hard worker. I’ll be the first to arrive and the last to leave. … It’s good to have a parental group to bounce ideas off of, and also to have a strategic plan. When people see we’re all passionate and working in the same direction, that builds trust in the community. That trust isn’t automatically earned, and I will work patiently to gain that.

Q: How do you handle the responsiblities for hiring personnel?

A: I make recommendations to hire a principal, and that principal is held accountable for that school. I think it’s vital that the superintendent shares with the board in an ample amount of time the names of the people he’s going to hire. (The principals) will be held accountable for the performance of the school they lead. If the board has concerns, it’s the responsibility of the superintendent to take those concerns into account.

Q: What about the possibility of the Creola schools requesting to join the Saraland City School system? How would Saraland handle that kind of growth?

A: What a great problem to have – to have people wanting to come to your school system. It’s one of the reasons I was intrigued by this position. There are challenges with growth and expenditures. I am confident that this board and the city leadership understands that quality facilities and instruction are vital in educating children and is also a huge draw in the community. It’s going to take a tremendous analysis of expenditures, revenue, debt to look at how that undertaking could be managed. I can assure them this would be done in a fiscally responsible manner, through consultation with the chief financial officer and city clerk.

Q: What is the financial state of your school system in Enterprise, and can you give us a couple of highlights of your time there? Or anything you would have done differently?

A: Enterprise is in outstanding financial condition right now. It has a solid tax base and proper financial management. … With the growth of three new schools, we have another debt plan to meet.

I’m most proud of our academic success. At first, four of our 11 schools weren’t making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress); now, they’re all making AYP. We rezoned for the first time in 13 years, affecting 750 students, but we pulled that off without a single complaint.

(As for regrets): If you’re in a position of leadership, there are sometimes things you wished you’d handled differently.

Q: What is your relationship with employee organizations?

A: I’m a career member of the AEA (Alabama Education Association teachers' union); my door is open to the AEA or any other organization that represents employees.

Q: What are your impressions of Saraland?

A: What I sensed was a small-town community with a school board and city leadership that is extremely progressive and wants to see the school system grow.